If you’re sick, President Obama wants you to take a day with pay.
The Obama administration issued a final rule Thursday requiring federal government contractors to provide paid sick leave to their workers. The Labor Department rule will impact more than 1.1 million workers when fully implemented.
“Everybody gets sick,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with Slate. “Coming to work sick is bad for employees, co-workers and customers alike. No one wants a colleague coming in and getting you sick.”
The rule entitles workers to accrue up to seven days of paid sick leave per year — one hour credited for every 30 hours they work. It takes effect on Jan. 1, and applies only to contracts with the federal government.
Unused sick leave time will carry over to the next year if the employee remains with the same employer on a contract-related assignment.
Mr. Obama said the new regulation will allow workers to keep providing for their families when they are too ill to leave home.
“When people don’t have paid sick days, they might have to choose between taking care of themselves and putting food on the table,” he said. “For Americans living paycheck to paycheck, a lost day of wages can be a huge loss. Or when a child gets sick and has to stay home, parents may have no choice but to care for them and lose a day’s pay as a result. That’s simply not a tradeoff the wealthiest nation on Earth should be asking working parents to make.”
Legislation that would provide paid sick leave for workers nationwide has been stalled in Congress.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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